There was a lot of excitement at the John Deere ‘Develop With Deere‘ Conference, as they working to integrate their MyJohnDeere platform with third parties. Kevin Krieg, John Deere, had a chance to speak with Chuck Zimmerman about why this is such a high priority for Deere, and what kind of value it can bring to growers using the MyJohnDeere … Read More
Annual Sustainable Ag Expo Benefits Growers
Growers and farmers from across a variety of crop types will be attending the 11th Annual Sustainable Ag Expo November 16-17, 2015 in San Luis Obispo, California. The Expo is presented by the Vineyard Team and started as a way to explore issues facing the agriculture industry. “It is a chance for farmers and researchers to come together, learn from … Read More
Details for Syngenta’s Crop Challenge Revealed
A new contest hosted by Syngenta was revealed on Wednesday at the 2015 INFORMS Annual Meeting. The Syngenta Crop Challenge encourages participants to develop a model that will aid farmers in predicting what they should plant next season to maximize yield. Data will be provided for weather, soil properties, and seed variety tests to develop the unique models. Farmers have … Read More
Armezon PRO Herbicide Approved for all Corn Types
Full EPA registration has been approved for Amezon PRO herbicide from BASF. Armezon® PRO herbicide provides long-lasting residual control of emerged grass and broadleaf weeds. “Growers want flexible options to control weeds based on their farm’s needs,” said Daniel Waldstein, Technical Market Manager, Ph.D., BASF. “Armezon PRO herbicide has a wide application window and low use rate, resulting in time, … Read More
USDA Invests In Improving Water Quality
$30 million will be invested in Mississippi watersheds this year according to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 33 new projects and 40 existing projects to improve water quality in high priority watersheds are included in the project; these projects affect waters that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. “By targeting small priority watersheds within the Mississippi River basin, we are … Read More
JohnDeere Acquires Monosem
Yesterday John Deere announced an agreement to acquire the European market leader in precision planters, Monosem. Four facilities in total will be purchased with two in France and two in the United States. John May, president, Agricultural Solutions and Chief Information Officer, said the business will maintain it’s independent nature by retaining its own brand and trademark, and will leverage … Read More
CEOs Launch Sustainability & Innovation Council
The heads of several agribusiness companies last week made a new commitment to sustainability. Elanco president Jeff Simmons, Kellogg CEO John Bryant, and Chris Policinski, President and CEO of Land O’ Lakes, joined former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to discuss what sustainability means to their companies last Thursday and to launch a new council. These companies, along with DuPont Pioneer, … Read More
New Risks, New Rewards for Farmers and Big Data
Privacy concerns are still forefront in farmers minds even with the substantial benefits of new technology and the associated A”big data.” Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst explained farmer concerns to the House Agriculture Committee during a hearing this week. Hurst, a board member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, was asked to testify on innovation and its implications for … Read More
75 Years of Innovation for ARS Ag Utilization Centers
Four regional ARS ag utilization centers are celebrating 75 years of scientific excellence. The centers, spread throughout the country, are celebrating innovative achievements and improved methods of ensuring product quality, detecting foodborne pathogens, and creating bio-based fuels among other things. The centers, which celebrate their 75th anniversaries during the remainder of 2015 and start of 2016, are the: Eastern Regional … Read More
USDA Announces $210m Investment in Renewable Energy
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is partnering with 21 states through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to nearly double the number of fueling pumps nationwide that supply renewable fuels to American motorists. With the matching commitments by state and private entities, the BIP is investing a total of $210 million to strengthen … Read More